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Rivers and streams are exceptional ecosystems full of biodiversity like fish and insects, but this richness is declining rapidly. Conservation efforts to protect these systems require accurate information about species distributions and population dynamics, but conventional methods for aquatic surveys can be inefficient and may miss rare species.
One promising method with the potential to improve conservation is analyzing the traces of DNA and RNA that organisms leave behind in the water, but scientists are still investigating how environmental factors like water flow and temperature interact to control where and when this genetic material is detectable. Join us to learn more about this new method and its potential impact.
About the presenter: Dr. Ellie Snyder is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Illinois Natural History Survey. She recently completed her PhD in stream ecology at the University of Notre Dame, where she studied the fate and transport of environmental DNA (eDNA) in streams and rivers. She received an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Biology to return to Illinois and compare the effectiveness of eRNA for fish monitoring with eDNA and conventional sampling.
Tuesdays at Ten | Summer 2025
• June 3, The Impact of Monsoons
• June 10, Future Biodiversity of Streams & Rivers
• June 17, AI & Water Sustainability
• June 24, Oceans Elsewhere
• July 8-29, Appreciating Nature in Four Parts
• July 8, Part 1, Perspective of Habitats
• July 15, Part 2, The Magic of Water
• July 22, Part 3, Mass Spectacles of Wildlife
• July 29, Part 4, Nocturnal Creatures
Our beautiful, state-of-the-art Main Library opened on January 6, 2008. You’ll find a wide variety of books, movies, and music, as well as free events for all ages. Looking for tech options? We offer free Wifi, dozens of public computers with internet access, and public meeting rooms.
